Black Hat Handcrew 

History 

The handcrew is named after the Native American wildland firefighting team called the Black Hats which originated in the mid-1960s on the South Dakota Pine Ridge Reservation. The original Black Hats traveled the country fighting wildfires until they disbanded in 1988. In 2002, the new Black Hats were organized by the South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division, keeping the original logo, and have been in operation ever since. 

Duties 

The Black Hat Handcrew is a 20-person type 2IA crew located in the central Black Hills of South Dakota, sharing a duty station with the Bear Mountain Module. The crew’s primary duties include wildland fire suppression, fuels reduction, and other all-hazard incidents.